


The City Fair

by Taruyison



Series: Fourteen Million Six Hundred and Five [3]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst with a Happy Ending, Carnival, Domestic Boyfriends, Don't copy to another site, Established Relationship, Insecure Stephen Strange, M/M, Omega Stephen Strange, Omega Verse, Plot, Pre-Doctor Strange (2016), Protective Tony Stark, Tumblr Prompt, but it is a no powers au, ish, not sure if college au I haven't decided yet, nvm it's not a college au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:28:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28696203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taruyison/pseuds/Taruyison
Summary: When an exclusive traveling fair hits their town, Tony is dead set on getting Stephen out of the house. Stephen just wants to lay in bed and wait out his troubles.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Series: Fourteen Million Six Hundred and Five [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2100231
Comments: 3
Kudos: 37





	The City Fair

**Author's Note:**

> I was planning for these idiots to walk around and throw balls at targets so Tony could win a gigantic unicorn plushie for Stephen, but my brain decided to take the story through a completely different route. Might write that other one at some point though--
> 
> **TW:** There's a mention of su*cidal thoughts, but only minor and not really serious at all. Minor harassment, some angst, and a lot of crying. I guess I should also mention the vague sense of self-hatred.
> 
> _Giant thanks to[Madcha_Tea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madcha_Tea) for betaing!_

It was a day in early September when Stephen started to feel the beginnings of another heat cycle. It was coming on a bit later than usual, but still just in time to cozy up on the couch with a cup of tea while watching the leaves change color outside the windows. It had become a tradition for him since meeting Tony. They would spend their days watching Netflix, talking about nothing in particular, and snuggling up under a blanket together. Tony had even offered to give him a massage then and now.

On this year, like every other year, Stephen had in mind to do exactly that as he swallowed down another Tylenol with the help of a glass of water. It would help against the worst of his symptoms, while still making the fever seem genuine. He mimicked blowing his nose into a tissue as Tony walked into the kitchen with his hair a living mess, dressed in nothing but a morning robe. Stephen honestly liked that look on him, but he did wonder how the man was able to sleep until almost noon.

“That time of the year again, huh?” Tony commented as he poured a cup of coffee for himself. The smell alone made Stephen have to swallow down another glass of water to keep a fit of nausea at bay. If only it was actual hay fever, maybe he wouldn’t have to smell that foul liquid every single morning due to a blocked nose. Or better yet, maybe it wouldn’t affect him at all.

“That time of the day again?” Stephen countered, adjusting his checkered pajamas and picking up his cup of mild lemon tea from the counter. Tony arched an eyebrow at him, but he took his time inhaling and savoring the scent of his tea. “That time somewhere between twelve and two when you finally decide to drag yourself out of bed and come out here to disturb my peace”. He made an honest effort to form his lips into a smile.

“Oh, come on” Tony said smoothly, waltzing up with swaying hips and coffee mug in hand to wrap an arm around Stephen’s waist. “You love my company” he purred.

Stephen made a disapproving noise and wiggled free from Tony’s hold. “I enjoy your company, not your humor” he said dryly, turning on his heel to drag his feet through the doorway and over to the couch. He didn’t have to fake the smile upon hearing Tony's whining response still from inside the kitchen.

“You always laughed at my jokes before!”

He barely had any time to settle down properly before Tony was walking up with his damned coffee and a plate with three different sandwiches. He placed both the cup and the plate down on the coffee table. Stephen didn’t need a sense of smell to know that one of them had avocado on it. That was also a part of their autumn traditions together - for Tony to make an avocado sandwich on the morning when Stephen was starting to fall into his _‘hay fever phase’_.

Stephen snatched it and dug his teeth into it before Tony had even settled his butt onto the couch cushion. “Glad you at least appreciate my sandwiches” he commented with raised eyebrows before grabbing a sandwich of his own.

Another part of their autumn traditions was reading the newspaper, which Stephen always so gratuitously made sure to buy on the last day of August. Stephen never read it himself, however. He preferred Tony to read it and notify him about the more important things going on in the world. Like the latest advancements in modern medicine, or new developments in the field of theoretical science. Things that interested him.

As usual, Tony grabbed the paper from the table, folded it out to put it in his lap, grabbed a sandwich for himself, and started reading. Stephen sank deeper into his seat and closed his eyes while holding the cup of tea in both hands. The smell easily reached his nose and filled his nostrils with every inhale. His spinning mind soon calmed from the relaxing feeling and the familiarity of the situation.

He barely even listened when Tony mentioned that there was a traveling fair coming to their town for one night only. “Should we go?” he asked a little louder, waking Stephen out of his stupor. He blinked once, uncertain what Tony was talking about. “The fair. Apparently it’s a really good one - these ratings are off the charts”.

“Is it run by someone you know?” Stephen asked, settling back down into his seat. He could humor Tony for a few minutes, but not because he was interested. He absolutely did not want to leave the house for the next two weeks.

“No, I’ve never heard his name before” Tony said, then paused briefly, his mouth twitching up into a coy smile. He turned his head to look at Stephen. “Which probably means that he’s a nobody”.

“Tony, you can’t assume that-”

“I was joking!” Tony interrupted, making his best attempt at a hurt expression. Stephen could almost fall for it if it wasn’t for the fact that he knew it was fake. “Sheesh, Princess” he muttered as he went back to the paper. Stephen closed his eyes, intent to find the moment of zen again. Before he could, Tony spoke up once more.

“Seriously though, you wanna come with me?”. He looked like he honestly meant what he was saying. “I'm thinking about going. It sounds to me like they’re only around every couple of years, and this would be a great opportunity”.

Stephen sighed softly while thinking over his options. Maybe going out for once wouldn’t be that bad. If he could forget about his problems for a day they might not be as hard to handle. Then again, his sweet little hay fever wasn’t as sweet as he had made it sound like to Tony. Staying home would be the best, and definitely the safest.

“I don't know, Tony” he said, taking a sip of his tea. He savored the taste as best he could as it rolled down his esophagus. He licked his lips and clicked his tongue. “Doesn’t sound like something for me”. At best, it was a fleeting lie.

Tony scrunched up his eyebrows to give Stephen an expression of genuine concern, but also a hint of disappointment. “And here I thought you were a man of opportunity” he said.

Which was true. Stephen did like opportunities, and he would usually jump at them. Learning or experiencing something new was always on his list of things to do, and each new day always had another opportunity. Tony had come to know that part of him, and had come with him on many different events and excursions during their time together. Winter in particular was Stephen’s favorite time to hog a few opportunities. It meant he got to wear his favorite coat if the weather was cold enough.

Today, however, was not such a day. This whole week would have none such days. The only opportunities he would take were the ones that had to do with sleeping, resting, meditating, and hopefully getting a massage or two. Stephen made his best _‘I am absolutely very sick with a high fever’_ impression while sighing heavily. “I’m sorry, Tones. You know how it is” he said and brought his cup of tea back to his mouth. It smelled delightful and tasted even better as he sipped from it with half-lidded eyes.

He heard Tony fold the newspaper to put it back on the table before standing up with a soft grunt. “I’ll get the thermometer. While I’m sure one cup of that lousy excuse for low-caffeine morning beverage makes you feel better, if I know you right - which I certainly hope I do - you’ve had more than two, and I’m not as certain that it won’t just make you feel a horrible lot worse”.

Stephen couldn’t even begin to make sense of anything of what his boyfriend just said, with his head already brewing up a storm. Yes, he had had more than two. This was actually his fourth cup of the day, but he wasn’t about to tell that to Tony. He had his own troubles to worry about and shouldn’t have to concern himself with Stephen’s borderline lemon tea obsession.

Besides, it was only during the autumn season. He much rather served himself something cold during the spring. Like iced tea - three glasses each morning, two for lunch, one for supper, and two or three before he went to bed. On the occasion that he would wake up in the middle of the night, he’d have a quick visit to the bathroom and then have two more glasses of tea. Peach tea, not lemon. Lemon was reserved for the autumn.

He was still rubbing his temples, his cup of tea placed on the edge of the coffee table, when Tony came back with the thermometer, sticking it into his mouth with no warning. It wasn’t all bad to be pampered, since he was getting assisted in the subtle massage of his temples by those skillful engineering hands. He even managed to pull a sigh from the unsuspecting boyfriend.

The thermometer beeped silently and Tony took it from Stephen’s mouth before he could check for himself. “One hundred point three Fahrenheit” he said. Stephen only barely resisted a sigh. “You’re perfectly healthy, Princess. Cut down on all of that lemon you’re drinking and you’ll be sweet as sugar in the morning”.

It was with dread that Stephen opened his mouth to ask; “Does that mean we’re going to that fair?”.

Tony piqued up where he stood, smiling brightly down at his boyfriend. “I’ll serve you an extra sandwich and share some of my coffee and you’ll be feeling all kinds of better tomorrow. Definitely good enough for a date with me, right?”.

He said it with a wink. He asked Stephen out on a date with a smile - not a smirk - and a wink. Oh, how weak he was, and not necessarily because it was _‘that time of year’_ , as Tony had so graciously put it. He sighed softly through his nose. “Right” he responded. The look of pure joy and excitement on Tony’s face almost made everything worth it.

Almost.

The next day was one that Stephen would come to remember as one of the worst - if not **the** worst - days of his life. Waking up one morning to realize that he was the scum of the earth was one thing, and his father scolding him for multiple hours about how important it was that no one knew about it was a second thing. But going outside, among people, under the scalding hot sun, during the first day of his _‘hay fever phase’_ was another thing entirely.

Tony’s morning kiss was still burning on the back of his neck during breakfast. The extra sandwich was blissful, and though the coffee tasted foul, it gave a far better buzz than five cups of tea ever could. With two Tylenol also into his system, he honestly felt ready for the day. He felt excited to go on a date with Tony. That was, until they reached the fairgrounds.

Tony had so conveniently forgotten to mention that the fair was not only in constant movement, but it was also highly exclusive to the rich and famous. Tony was part of the rich and famous - at least born into it. Stephen appreciated that most of the time, because it meant they could afford to take a few days off every autumn and spring without anyone asking any questions.

The scene he was presented with now, however, was not a reason to be neither grateful nor jealous of Tony Stark’s fortune. Stephen had no idea that so many people had so much money in their pockets. The tickets were **expensive** , and with a price that high, he expected at most a few dozen people. There were hundreds. The fair was gigantic.

Tony had managed to distract him enough from the things around them, with his revitalizing talk about how much fun they would have and with his strangely wonderful smell. But when that distraction disappeared as Tony paid their entrance fee, everything came at him at once. The smells, the sights, the people.

For the first time in years, Stephen felt small. Small, misplaced, exposed, and so utterly and completely alone. How could Tony ever understand what he was feeling? How would he ever be able to tell his boyfriend that he absolutely shouldn’t be here? His boyfriend who had done everything for him. His boyfriend who had been raised to believe that something as stupid as a heat cycle didn’t exist. Ranking and class depended on your wealth and nothing else. If he only knew how wrong he was. If only Stephen could make him understand that it was about so much more than how many fancy cars you had in your collection.

Every fiber of his being was telling him to run. Run, hide, and never come back out again. He fought to keep his feet planted firmly on the ground and to keep his hands from fidgeting.

_It’s just hay fever, it’s just hay fever, it’s just hay fever_ , he repeated over and over in his mind. By the time Tony grabbed his arm to drag him along through the gates into the fairgrounds themselves, Stephen had already made up a dozen different what-ifs about how this date would end. They all could be summed up in one word: horrible.

He heard Tony’s awestruck gasp and closed his eyes. Tony had wanted to go here. He had wanted to go here with **him**. He could manage a few hours. Just a few hours, and then he would be able to go home. He wanted to make Tony happy, even if it drained his own strength to do it. If this was the way to go, then so be it. He couldn’t run now that they were finally here.

He took a deep, cleansing breath and opened his eyes again to look at Tony. He followed his gaze to see what he was looking at that made him so filled with awe. As he did, he found himself arching his eyebrows and sighing softly at the same time. “Your parents never took you out to these things, did they?” Stephen said, more as a statement than as a question. Tony responded with a slow shake of the head.

That explained his urgency to go for the one day before the fair disappeared again. He had never been to something like this before. Particularly not something as delightfully childish and ridiculously expensive as a gigantic _‘all ages allowed’_ twelve-meter tall inflatable slide. Stephen could practically smell the excitement radiating off his suddenly twenty years younger boyfriend. “Do you want to go on the slide?” he asked with an arched eyebrow, already knowing the answer.

Tony turned to face him, the sweetest smile on his face, eyes looking up at him to imitate the expression of a begging puppy. The one thing Stephen found impossible to resist. He sighed and chuckled while shaking his head in awe. “Well, I need to take a trickle and gussy up. I feel a bit uhh…”, he took a second to find the right words, clicking his tongue, “..underdressed, shall we say. I’ll meet you back here in a few minutes”.

Tony was galloping away before Stephen could finish his sentence, leaving him alone among the crowd. The fine hairs on the back of his neck stood on edge. Alone, in a crowd, during heat season. He had no idea how many horrible people might be hiding among all of these faces. He was the scum of the earth, nothing but trash, a piece of jewelry without an owner. Exposed. Prey. And there were a lot of hungry predators lying in wait in this pulsating crowd.

Stephen marched faster toward the restrooms he’d spotted earlier than Tony had darted toward the slide. He should never have agreed to this. They should have stayed home. **He** should have stayed home. He wouldn’t have blamed Tony for leaving him in bed all day. After all, Stephen always spent most of the autumn either sleeping or moping. And what fun would there be in spending an entire three weeks of your year sitting next to a sleeping man? None.

Stephen thanked the lords above that he didn't even believe in that there was no line for the restrooms. Only one person walked in before him, and he seemed to be minding his business. Another gentleman was adjusting his tie, not even noticing the arrival of two other men.

Stephen picked the stall furthest away from the entrance, closed the door, and slammed the lock. Pressing his back to it, he panted heavily. **Fuck** , he was sweating. He could not be sweating, and especially not in here, especially not now. He had to calm himself down. High emotions meant blood pumping. Blood pumping meant excessive sweating. Excessive sweating meant pheromones spreading. And his pheromones spreading meant that anyone and everyone that had the ability, would be able to smell him from miles away. They would be able to smell who he was - **what** he was… and they would come for him.

Breathing deeply, he tried to steady his racing heart. There was no removing the stench that had settled into his clothes, but maybe a happy little accident with some water along with Tony’s cologne could mask it. As long as they stayed close to each other. As long as Tony’s arm kept brushing against his own. Maybe if his--

_Fuck, shit, don’t think about this! Whatever you do, you can **not** think about Tony!_

Stephen rubbed his face with his hand, taking a deep breath. He was here to trickle. That wasn’t a lie, he did actually have to trickle, so that is what he would do. That was easy, and usually very rewarding if you had a full bladder, which Stephen did after downing three glasses of water trying to remove the taste of coffee from his tongue that morning.

Exhaling, he did his business. He paid no mind to any of the other males occupying the stalls until the entire restroom was empty. An immediate sense of fear and dread washed over him like a wave crashing into the jagged rocks of the shore. Suddenly and violently, without warning. His heart rate picked up. He had to get out of here. He had to find Tony, and beg him to get them the hell out of this stupid fair he had so foolishly agreed to go to.

He put his hand against the stall door at the same time as he heard the entrance door swing open. The smell reached his nose within a bare two seconds. Someone had entered the restroom, and it wasn’t just anyone. It was a rich and powerful alpha in heat. Stephen could sense it all in the smell. One whiff and he knew the man’s age, fortune, some of his skills, his social standing, and most prominently, his past experiences. The man reeked of fame. It made Stephen weak in his knees. He had never felt the smell of someone so powerful before. Someone so experienced. Someone so…

Someone so utterly terrifying that he forgot how to breathe. He had been taught to hide. He had been taught to never reveal his true nature from the moment he first discovered it. He had been taught that if he did, not only would his entire family be put to shame, but he himself would become nothing but an object to be claimed. He didn't want that. He had fought his way up. He had masked as someone worthy of a normal life all the way through medical school and into so many hospitals - through so many promotions. He deserved his place in the ranking system. He deserved his fame and glory.

And yet here he was. When backed into a corner with no escape during his lowest point, he was nothing. He was no one. He was worthless.

The alpha at the entrance grunted. “I can smell you, puppet” he called, so softly and calmly. He knew how to seduce. He had done it a countless amount of times before, it was ingrained in his very bones, radiating into his scent. Stephen had never felt so weak. That voice was soothing his troubled nerves, lapping up his worries, and begging for him to come out of his hiding place.

But it was also tearing his very existence apart. The scent along with the voice was providing his mind with a picture. He saw something so desirable, yet so immensely repulsive. That alpha had so many different mates already. He didn’t need more, but he wanted it anyway. Collecting them like trophies to put up on his wall. Disgusting, that’s what he was. Stephen’s mind knew that.

It was his physiology that didn’t know. It had never been through sensations like this before since he had always huddled up inside his home during heat season. He was so drawn to everything there was about this man - this alpha. His body knew by raw instinct that a reward was waiting if he followed. But his mind didn’t want to. His mind wanted Tony. _Oh god_ , how he wanted Tony. He wanted Tony to save him from this torture.

“You stink, omega, like a vile can of worms”.

There it was. The confirmation. This alpha had no respect whatsoever for anything that wasn’t an alpha such as himself. And yet, Stephen’s knees gave in. Stumbling backward, he slumped down on the toilet seat, slapping a hand over his mouth. But it was too late. He had given away his hiding space.

“There you are, my little puppet”.

Stephen squeezed his eyes shut. He held his breath and waited for the stall door to be ripped clean off from its hinges. He heard the heavy footsteps coming closer. They stopped right in front of his stall, and he would be able to see the looming shadow of the man’s feet if he looked down. He didn’t look down - he already knew his final moment as a free man had come.

The man knocked gently on the door, whistling a tune that was cutting right into Stephen’s chest. Then he growled. “Open the door, you shit”.

He was drunk. Drunk people were never a good sign. Not when there was a large assembly of them. Especially not during the first weeks of September.

The man now pounded on the door, just like the heart in Stephen’s chest. How easy it would be to slide open the lock and fall into his arms. So, so easy, but he knew that he would get barely a moment of gratification before he would be thrown right back into the dirt. Discarded, like a broken glove. Useless, because he lacked the experience that this man craved.

“Hey, you! What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”.

The saving grace. Tony’s voice. _Oh god, Tony’s **voice**_. And he continued to speak even after the drunk alpha warbled out something intelligible. “I don’t care who you are or what you earn, there are fifteen other stalls here and you go knock on the one that’s occupied?”.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t-”

“Like hell you did!” Tony barked. Stephen heard rapid steps coming closer. He opened his mouth to bite the palm of his hand to keep himself silent. “I am Tony fucking Stark, heir to Howard fucking Stark, and you’re making a big mistake coming here acting like you own the place”.

“Ah, fuck” the alpha swore under his breath.

“Oh no, you won’t be doing any fucking for the rest of your sorry life. I’m having you castrated for violating other guests. I thought this was a party for the rich. Who do you think you are?”. There was a brief pause and Stephen held his breath. He waited for the alpha to throw Tony out. He expected Tony to be bruised and busted like a browning leaf under the heel of a shoe. He expected him to be thrown out the door like a plastic bag. But it never happened. Tony just kept talking as if he had no fear in the world.

“No, don’t answer that, I don’t wanna know. Get out of here before I throw your ass out!”.

There were staggering footsteps, a soft thump as if someone had walked into something, then the entrance door opened and closed. Stephen didn’t dare to let his breath out before he heard Tony’s silent grumbling about idiots and alcohol doesn’t match.

“Sorry about that guy, are you okay in there?” Tony asked. He didn’t knock. He didn’t sweet talk. He didn’t know who the alpha had just scared shitless. Stephen felt the tears prick at the corners of his eyes.

“Tony” he said silently, inhaling to get air back into his aching lungs. The reaction was immediate.

“Stephen!” Tony breathed before pushing his hands against the door. “Oh my god, honey, are you okay?!”.

No, he wasn’t. He was so far from okay, but he didn’t know how to voice it. He wanted to voice it - to say that he was terrified and that he wanted nothing else than to go home and snuggle up among the covers in their bed. He wanted to go back to hiding. Pretending that he could be someone that he wasn’t. If only science hadn’t given up on that miracle pill that the news had announced so many months ago. A pill that would save him. The one pill that could take away all of his symptoms for years to come.

“Honey?” Tony repeated, now sounding more alarmed than before.

Stephen swallowed behind the lump in his throat. “No” was the only thing he could come up with. It was the only thing that wasn’t a blatant lie. He was done with lying. When they got home, he would tell Tony about everything. The true reason why he got sick and feverish during spring and autumn every year. He would make damn sure that Tony believed him, because he couldn't stand another year of play pretend and fake smiles.

“Honey, could you-”.

Tony didn’t have to finish his sentence. Stephen flicked the lock open without a second thought. He wanted - needed his Tony. His human of comfort that had done so much for him. The one person that had made him feel worth something. The person that made him feel normal. Worthy. He needed that person.

What he didn’t need was that person seeing him in this state. He squeezed his legs tightly together, wrapped his arms around himself, and tucked his chin close to his chest.

The stall door creaked open. He didn’t feel the tears running down his cheeks. He knew they were there, but he couldn’t feel them through the burning embarrassment. “D-don’t look at me” he stammered quietly. He closed his eyes to avoid seeing himself in the reflection in that darned mirror on the other side of the room. He squeezed them shut like he squeezed his mouth shut, clenching his jaw like his life depended on it.

He heard Tony flutter to his knees on the floor, then his hands were on his skin. They burned oh so delightfully, making him jerk away from it. “Honey, it’s me” he heard Tony speak. It was soft, barely above a whisper. He remembered hearing him speak like that only once before, and never to him. It was new, but it made a shiver run down his spine. It was a good shiver, but the reason for it made Stephen want to throw himself into a ditch. Or better, off the top of a cliff. A high one, to make certain that he wouldn’t survive.

“Hey, look at me, darling”. That was a new one, even for Tony. _‘Darling’_. Not that it didn’t give the result he wanted. Stephen couldn’t resist it, and he slowly opened his eyes, blinking twice against the light. Tony was looking at him with such worry, such concern that he couldn’t keep it together anymore. He threw his arms around his boyfriend and the tears called for free fall. Burrowing his nose into Tony’s shoulder, he inhaled deeply before sobbing his heart out. He felt safe. He felt content. He felt complete.

After a minute or so, and luckily enough no disturbances from other people, Stephen felt his tears start to ease up. His breathing was evening out and his heart was beating less erratically. “You smell nice” he sobbed softly against Tony’s ear, inhaling his scent again. It was mild. Comforting. Familiar. _Home_. “Not like that other guy…”.

He wasn’t meant to say the last part out loud, but Tony heard him. “Yeah, he was drenched in some cheap ass vodka. I'm so sorry for what he did to you”.

Stephen objected without thinking. “No, I mean **his** scent. I could feel his scent below all of that stench” he said, then immediately clamped his mouth shut.

Tony pulled back from the hug to look Stephen in the eye. He didn’t want to meet that gaze, but Tony stubbornly held his face in place with one hand. “No way that you-”

“I can, Tony” Stephen interrupted, now holding his gaze firmly. No more lies, no more secrets. “Do you remember that thing we talked about a few years ago?”. He paused briefly, studying Tony’s expression before adding on to make sure that his boyfriend knew what he meant. “That time when I got so sick. You wanted to take me to the hospital, but I insisted I didn’t need to”.

Tony nodded, his eyes flashing with recognition. “Yeah, I remember. I couldn’t have been more relieved when you had a miraculous return to health” he said. His expression softened at the memory. “What about it?”.

“I need you to start believing the stories your mother told you as a kid”. Stephen took a breath between sentences, breaking eye contact to collect himself before looking at Tony again. “Everything they said, everything that **I** have said..”. Despite all of the resolve he had gathered, he didn’t dare to finish his sentence. He watched Tony take a breath.

“It’s all true, I know”.

Stephen did a double-take. Had Tony known all this time and just played along with the lie? Or was he really that easy to convince? No, there was no way that Stephen could revert multiple years of blissful ignorance with just a few words. He must have known. But if he knew, why would he play along? Why wouldn’t he just address the figurative elephant in the room? There had to be a different explanation.

“How did y-”

Tony interrupted Stephen’s question by pressing a finger to his lips. A coy smile played on his own lips as he raised an eyebrow in a baffled expression. “I saw some things I couldn't explain”.

“Such as?”. Stephen feared the worst.

“Such as why would people greet each other by sniffing each other’s neck? That is gross” Tony said. Stephen couldn’t agree more. It was honestly gross how some alphas treated people of a lower rank. “And secondly, why would five really nice looking whores - you know what I mean here - drool over some guy that isn’t particularly hot, rather than looking at, oh I don’t know, me!”. Tony gestured dramatically toward himself as he was leaning backward on his haunches. Stephen did see the humor in it, but he was too baffled to actually say anything. So Tony continued; “I’ve also read you the newspaper for three years. Suppose you can’t keep all of that pride nonsense at bay forever”.

Stephen felt a new round of tears sting behind his eyes. “You finally came through” he whispered. Tony smiled brighter and held both hands firmly on Stephen’s cheeks.

“Enough about me, how are you feeling?” Tony asked. Stephen knew that the intention behind those words was genuine, but it felt like his moment of peace was shattered. Tony’s presence had distracted him from the reality he was facing. How **was** he feeling? Like absolute shit, and he just wanted to go home. He wanted to do nothing but watch a movie on Netflix while curled up under a blanket and sipping on his lemon tea. But he didn’t want to disappoint Tony. He didn’t want to ruin this date that Tony had so willingly paid multiple dollars for.

For the first time since they started dating a little more than three years ago, Stephen felt reluctant as Tony’s gaze wandered over him. The Tony that paid his bills, served him tea, buttered his sandwiches, and invited him to exclusive events that he probably wasn’t even welcomed to. The Tony that he didn’t want to disappoint, but that he now wanted to hide from as those eyes and hands landed on his chest. He was hesitant about coming out of the proverbial closet, but he was also not sure how long he could stay. He didn’t want to stay. “God, you’re drenched in sweat” Tony spoke, and Stephen **broke**.

“I’m an omega, Tony” he sobbed. Relief mixed with horror upon finally being able to say those words out loud. For so long he had kept it hidden from the world. He felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, but also an immense sense of dread. He had always trusted Tony, with anything. Could he trust him with this small piece of information about himself as well? Without the risk of being judged for a lifetime to come. Stephen figured that Tony might already have figured it out anyway. “I’m an omega in heat, and they can smell it”, he paused briefly to sob and cover his face with one hand. “Everyone can smell it”.

“I will admit, it’s always been pretty gross doing your laundry” Tony muttered, his eyebrows inching upwards and the corner of his lips twitching into a sheepish smile.

He was making a joke. Tony was joking, not harassing him. It was completely devoid of ill intent. Stephen was so relieved about it that he didn’t know what to do with himself. He let his hand fall into his lap, and his forehead to rest on Tony’s, drinking in the warmth of his company. Soaking in his acceptance. He did accept him, right?

“You don’t..”, Stephen had to collect his courage and find his voice again to be able to finish the question, “..hate me?”. Barely a heartbeat passed before he filled himself in; “For being an omega”.

“Oh, honey, no”. Tony pulled back enough so they could look into each other’s eyes, which Stephen reluctantly did. “Of course I don’t hate you, sweetheart” he said, furrowing his eyebrows briefly enough that Stephen barely noticed it before continuing. “I might be dense for not realizing the truth any earlier, but it was some damn convincing hay fever you did. I know you, darling.. And I love you”.

Now the tears welled with newfound force. Stephen hugged Tony tight to himself, burrowing his face into his shoulder. The relief was now all he felt. Relief and adoration for his boyfriend - for his acceptance toward all of this so easily. Maybe he wasn’t actually hated by everyone around him. Tony didn’t hate him for what he was. Tony loved him for **who** he was, and that was something that Stephen wanted to treasure for as long as he possibly could.

“Ready to go home?” Tony said softly as he pulled out from the hug to place a hand on Stephen’s cheek. He felt a pang of guilt as he looked into those perfectly brown eyes.

“Don’t you want to stay? I thought you said it was for one night only”. Stephen’s voice was barely holding up, but he felt that he should ask to give Tony a chance to speak his mind as well.

Tony scoffed softly. He wiped a stray tear from Stephen’s cheek with the pad of his thumb. “There are mostly just assholes here anyway” he said, giving a subtle wink. Stephen couldn’t help but wrinkle his nose at remembering the stranger slamming his fist against the stall door. It was something he would rather forget than turn into another one of their dry inside jokes. Tony made an unimpressed expression as he continued; “They also don’t have any fun prizes to win”.

Stephen felt a nagging sensation that Tony just played along for his sake and scrunched up his eyebrows. “Are you sure?” he asked, his voice thick from the lump that still lingered in the back of his throat. Tony’s face lit up into a smile so bright that it almost seemed to melt all of the world’s problems away.

“I am absolutely convinced that you need to get home and take a long and invigorating shower” Tony said, moving his other hand so he was cupping Stephen’s face, fingertips playing with the slightly discolored hair at his temples. “I’ll make you some of that nasty tea you seem to love so much and then we’ll watch that show you like on Netflix”.

Stephen wanted to complain. Tony had brought them here to have fun. They had barely scratched the surface, and yet they were already thinking about turning back around. Carnival rides, ball throwing games, cotton candy, and out of this world jackpot prizes. So many fun things that they would miss out on if they left now. But Tony’s smile didn’t falter, and Netflix and tea in the comfort of their own homes felt more inviting with every second that passed. And he really, absolutely did not want to plow through five crowds of people just for the chance of winning a plastic doughnut. Yes, he was so ready to go home.

The tears threatened to spill again and he had since long lost his voice. He nodded and whispered a silent please to answer Tony’s inquiry, and the engineer gladly helped him to his feet. He felt a bit unsteady, but with Tony’s arm around his waist, he felt more confident about his steps. Tony was safety, and comfort, and Tony was home. And he would do anything and everything to get away from this place quicker than he could say the word snickers.

As they exited the gates to the fair, Stephen snuggled up close to his boyfriend’s side. When they had arrived, he had sworn that it would turn into the worst day of his life. Now, with all things considered, he felt closer to Tony than he ever had. It made him wonder if perhaps this hadn’t been such a bad idea after all. And he considered changing his mind into thinking that this day might just have become the absolute best day of his life.


End file.
